Known as a fierce hunter as well as protector, Artemis is one of the major Greek goddesses. Artemis is known as the goddess of the night, the huntress, the goddess of fruitfulness, the goddess of childbirth, Lady of the Beasts, the woodland goddess, the bull goddess, the personification of the moon, and the eternal virgin.

Artemis was one of the few goddesses immune to the enchantments of Aphrodite. In some instances Artemis is linked closely to the Roman and Italian goddess, Diana. There is some controversy as to the goddess that deserves the first rights, but it appears that Artemis was a later goddess. There is no doubt that the similarities are striking. Some people go as far as to call them one, the goddess Artemis Diana.

As a huntress, she happily traveled in woods in the company of dogs, wild beasts, and mountain nymphs. She brought about Orion's death, the unfortunate hunter, who either defied the goddess, or else tried to seduce one of her companions, the virgin Opis, or perhaps attempted to personally ravish her. Artemis sent a scorpion to sting his heel, and thus killed him. But when Orion was subsequently changed into a constellation, Artemis made sure the scorpion received the same honor.

THE MEANING OF HER NAME:

* From "meaning strong limbed;
* From "meaning she who cuts up (Spartan rendering of her name);
* From: "_" high or lofty and "meaning water, convener, lawgiver

Artemis was the protector of young children ages nine and up. These children were just released from their mothers' clutches, yet not quite ready to enter the stage of Aphrodite. The night before they were to be married, young girls sacrificed their tunics, toys, dolls and all youthful belongings to Artemis as a farewell to their youth. It is also believed that these young girls wanted to please Artemis so that she would aid them in childbirth in the future.

At festivals held in Ancient Greece, the young girls would sometimes wear bearskins and played "acting the bear." The female bear is one of the most difficult animals to domesticate. They acted out in dances the gestures and growl of the bear. These dances were for the realization of the physical body, not the body in a sexual or maternal sense. This time in a girl's life is essentially the last chance she gets to play and have fun before entering into the Aphrodite stage.

The sacrifice of a bear for Artemis started from the Brauron cult. Every year, a little girl age not more than ten and less than five sent to Artemis' temple at Brauron" e "a text by Byzantine writer, Suidas, told a legend about a bear that was tamed by Artemis, and introduced to people of Athens. They touched it and played with it, until one day a group of young girls poked the bear. It was furious, and attacked the girls. One of the girls' brother found out what had happened and killed the bear; Artemis sent a plague in revenge. The Athenians consulted an oracle of how to end the plague. The oracle suggested that,in payment for the bear's blood, every young Athenian virgin should not be allowed to marry until she had served Artemis in her temple ('played the bear for the goddess').

During the full moon in late March to early April, a particularly elaborate festival was held which seems to contain elements of the rites held in honour of the Thracian Moon Goddess "Young girls referred to as "who had lived in the Temple of Artemis during the summer were dressed in saffron couloured tunics and leaf crowns, and carried torches or twigs in a great procession. They then passed into the temple of Artemis, where they were said to 'play at being she bears.'

Worship of Artemis was not restricted to young girls and women in during childbirth. Some men took vows of chastity under Artemis, such as "The priests of Artemis castrated themselves voluntarily to se

rve her. Hunters also made sacrifices to the great goddess of the hunt. When a hunter had a successful day he would hand the skin and horns of his prey on a tree or pillar as an act of gratitude towards Artemis.

On the 6th day of the New Moon in February to early March, the festival of "was held in honor of Artemis the Deer Shooter. Stags and cakes in the shape of stags made of honey and sesame seeds were offered to Her. The entire lunar cycle this festival falls in was once the Athenian month of "and was wholly dedicated to Artemis.

On the 6th day of the new moon in late August to early September, the festival of "'Thanksgiving', in honour of was held. This month was called "'running for help.'

On May 30, the Great Full Moon festival honored Artemis as the Moon Goddess and Lady of the Beasts. Full Moon Celebrations in honor of Artemis were popular all over Greece until late historical times. They were celebrated with the forerunners of birthday cakes full of lit candles called "'shining all round,' and the surrender of Her worshippers to Her power in the forest. There, they would make love without concern for the bonds of marriage or conscious considerations, only the presence or absence of instinctive attraction.

Other ceremonies gave thanks to Artemis for providing game animals. Sacrifices consisted of palm leaves and a female goat, either real or an appropriately shaped cake.

GODDESSES SIMILAR TO ARTEMIS"; Atalanta of Arcadia; Bendis of Lemnia; Britomartis of Crete; Carya of Southern Laconia; _" of Thrace; Diana or Dea Anna of Ephesus and Latium, itself named for Leto; Diktynna of Crete; Egeria of Nemo; Eukleia; Hipta of Lydia; Kallisto of Arcadia; Leukippe; Ma Tau P'o; Ma of Cappadocia and Caria; Niobe; Ortheia of Sparta; Phylonoe;" Telchines; Uma(Umi) of "Sources: Goddess Myths, Art History, Wikipedia, and Kusadasi